The platform

Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform

In 2016, CSIRO announced that it would invest $13 million in the Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform (SynBio FSP). SynBio was identified as a rapidly expanding multi-billion dollar industry with significant potential for generating societal benefits and commercial opportunities. It has potential drive innovation in a large number of diverse industries going into the future. Consequently, we set about developing a strong SynBio ‘research ecosystem’ in Australia.

SynBio’s transformative nature brings with it technical and social risks. The SynBio FSP sought to understand and monitor these risks and to maintain a dialogue with the public about progress in the field. The SynBio FSP was built on a philosophy of responsible development of SynBio technology, striving for ethical and socially acceptable outcomes.

Our mission was to collaboratively develop capacity in SynBio within CSIRO and across Australia through the following aims:

  • Build the foundational capabilities to advance SynBio research
  • Drive national coordination by making these foundational capabilities widely available to the broad research community, governments, and industry
  • Build strong partnerships, collaborations, and connections across the innovation sector to develop novel products and applications responsibly.

CSIRO was uniquely placed to provide national leadership to coherently catalyse innovation, develop capability, and avoid fragmentation to advance Australia’s SynBio capacity and competitiveness in a responsible way.

The SynBio FSP worked with its partner organisations, including Synthetic Biology Australasia, to help build a collaborative Australia-wide community of practice in SynBio.

CSIRO’s Future Science Platforms

CSIRO’s Future Science Platforms (FSPs) are an investment in science that underpins innovation and that has the potential to help reinvent and create new industries for Australia. FSPs will see us grow the capability of a new generation of researchers and attract the best students and experts to work with us on future science in Australia. They are a multi-year, multi-disciplinary investment in our collective future, bringing CSIRO and our partners together to work on the big ideas.